


Vrepit Sa

by Sunburst326



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-10
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 14:30:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 11,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11761869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunburst326/pseuds/Sunburst326
Summary: Akira Thornspur's life should take a turn for the better when she is assigned a mission to infiltrate Team Voltron and take them apart from the inside. It may cost her life, but it has to be better than horrible fights and experiments as a test subject, right? However, when she's forced to choose between a ruler who can have her killed if she betrays him, and her new family, where will her loyalties lie?





	1. Quiznak

The floodlights glared down angrily, hurting my light-sensitive eyes. I nearly hissed, but restrained myself. I pushed against the bonds that held me to the table. They were unnecessary, I didn't know why the Druids still put them on me. Well, sometimes the injections did hurt, and I was still deathly afraid of needles; I would lash out. Last time I took a sizable chunk of purple hair off of a Galra guard as I was resisting the injections.  
The door opened, and I heard footsteps. Soon, Haggar was the the side of the table. I braced myself for inevitable pain.  
“Do not worry, it will not hurt today as much as it did yesterday,” the witch purred.  
I shuddered. Haggar always managed to make my skin crawl. I had no idea why, but she bothered me more than all the other Druids put together. Maybe it was her voice, maybe it was her demeanor. Maybe it was the fact that she looked Altean, and not whatever the quiznak the other Druids where.  
“Then why strap me to the table?” I asked, keeping all venom from my voice.  
“Because I need to be sure that you will not go anywhere,” said Haggar.  
Quiznak.  
Whatever the witch had planned, this was not going to be good.

I woke up, and stretched, my body sore from whatever the quiznak they pumped into me yesterday. I rolled out of bed, not bothering to make the messy sheets, and not bother to put my pajamas into the laundry bin as I stripped down and changed into my regular clothes. My outfit today consisted of sweatpants and a tee shirt.  
I walked into the bathroom, not really caring that I looked like a hot mess. Even when I put effort into my appearance, there was no one worth dating who would care. I mean, there was the occasional cute guard outside my quarters, but they didn't often talk to me.  
The only guard who actually interacted with me because he was a decent person wasn't scheduled to cover my corridor for another week. It was unfortunate, Qotho always made me feel better after I went to see the Druids.  
I looked at myself in the mirror, and wrinkled my nose. Some might say I was pretty, if I wasn't so strange looking.  
I was an oddity, for sure. I was human… ish. I had a human body, and a human face. My eyes were human, and my skin was human. However, my ears were Galra. They were large, and very purple. I had a ridge of purple fur down my spine, and on my elbows, on the backs of my calves, and on my shoulders. My hair was human black with Galra purple streaks. I had big blue human eyes, but they glowed in the dark like the eyes of the other Galra. My canine teeth were those of a Galra; long and sharp. Wherever the purple fur touched my skin, there was purple skin underneath. The purple skin actually extended past the stripes of fur a little ways, fading into the pale, pale peach that was my skin tone. I had a small, turned up nose, and thick eyebrows. I was on the shorter side of average, only reaching five foot four.  
I raked a comb through my hair, snarling when the tangles snagged painfully. I then brushed my teeth, and went to the door.  
“Hey, Rurk,” I said to my guard. He didn't even acknowledge me. “I’m hungry.” Still no response. “Rurk,” I said, a little more persistent. “Get me food,” I urged. After about five minutes of trying, I gave up, flopping back over onto my bed. I might as well catch up on the sleep I didn't miss.  
Suddenly, the door opened, and Qotho came through them. My ears perked up and I smiled, happy to see his familiar face. “Hi!” I chirped. He had his ears pressed back against his head in an expression of worry, and his brow was furrowed. I drew my lips to one side. “Is everything alright?” I asked, worried.  
“Seriously?” he said, gesturing to me. “You're going to see Zarkon today, and that’s what you choose to wear?”  
I paled. “Z-Zarkon?” I squeaked. Oh quiznak!  
Qotho nodded. “Yes, Zarkon. He believes you are ready. So change, Princess.” He gave me one of his trademark Qotho smirks, and walked out of the room. I glared at his retreating figure.  
I got up, and this time, changed into a slightly nicer outfit; the new outfit was a simple black tee shirt, black pants, and combat boots. Once I had changed, I walked to the door. “Lemme out,” I said, standing up on my tiptoes a little to fit my head in the window on my door.  
Qotho opened the door, and I stumbled a little, as I had sort of been leaning on the door. He arched an eyebrow at me. “I can't believe they're sending you into the field,” he said.  
I pressed my lips together, my eyes wide. “Yeah, me neither,” I said, as he escorted me down the hallway on our way to Zarkon’s throne room.  
Once in the throne room, I knelt in the customary stance of all the Galra when in Zarkon’s presence.  
“Rise,” rumbled the massive ruler. I noticed bitterly that Haggar was at Zarkon’s side. Witch.  
“You have been summoned here to receive your first mission,” said Haggar. “If all goes according to plan, you will be elevated to a high position in the Galra army.”  
Oh. Woo. I’m thrilled.  
“Your mission,” said Zarkon. “Is to disguise yourself as fully human and infiltrate the Castle of Lions. You will need to convince the paladins of Voltron that you are a friend, and can be trusted. Then, you will take them down from the inside.”  
I paled, but did my best to mask my emotions in front of the emperor. Infiltrate the Castle of Lions?! Was he serious?! I was a dead woman walking, I knew that the moment those words came out of his mouth.  
“Yes, Emperor Zarkon. My only wish is to serve the Galra Empire, and bring the name of Zarkon glory and praise. Vrepit sa!” I said. Lies. All of it.  
“Vrepit sa,” said the emperor, in a rather bored tone.  
I was escorted back to my room by Qotho. Once at the door, he put both his hands on my shoulders. “I want you to be very, very careful out there,” he said. “This is practically a suicide mission.”  
“I know,” I said numbly.  
“You’re coming back, okay?” he said. I couldn't meet his eyes. He removed his right hand from my shoulder, and turned my face so that I was staring straight into his yellow eyes. “You are coming back, okay?”  
“Okay,” I said. I wished I felt as sure as I sounded.  
“I want you to believe it when you say it,” he said.  
“I am coming back,” I said, with only a touch more confidence.  
“There is nowhere you can go where the Blade won't come for you,” he said, quietly, as if it were something that the guards around us shouldn't’ve heard. I wasn't sure what he meant by that, but whatever it was, it gave me a strange sort of hope.


	2. The Nice One

“Wrench,” Pidge said, from under the pod. I slid said tool in the direction of her feet, which were sticking out from underneath the vehicle. Her tiny hand shot out and grabbed it, and it disappeared under the pod.   
My stomach rumbled. “Ugh,” I said. “We’ve been repairing that thing for an hour, Pidge. I’m hungry! Can we take a snack break and come back to it later?”  
I heard the distinct sound of rolling wheels against the floor, and I look up to see Pidge push herself out from under the pod. She sat up, and gave me a hard stare, still holding the wrench in her hand. She was covered in engine grease, and her hair was ridiculously messed up. “No, Hunk, we can't. I’m this close to getting it,” she growled, motioning with her fingers.   
“You said that an hour ago!” I protested, rocking back a little on the floor. I was sitting cross legged.  
“Yes, but this time, I’m not lying,” she said, lying back down and sliding under the pod.   
“Wait, you lied to me?” I said, feeling betrayed.  
“Yes,” she said. “Are you surprised?”  
“Frankly, no,” I said, scowling. Even though I was put out that she lied to me about something trivial, I stuck around until she finished the quiznaking pod. After all, that’s what friends are for, right?   
The doors to the pod bay opened and I could hear Lance from a mile off, bickering with Keith. Well, Lance was bickering. Keith was merely there. I looked up to see Shiro stride in, Keith right behind him, and Lance in tow.   
“You finally done, Pidge Podge?” asked Lance.   
Pidge got up, wiping her hands on her basketball shorts. “Yep,” she said. She then set her jaw and furrowed her brow. “And don't call me Pidge Podge.”  
Keith walked over to the pod. “So it won't blow up now?” he said. “That’s good.”  
“More than good,” said Shiro. “That’s excellent.”  
“You did this by yourself?” asked Coran. I jumped. I hadn't even known the Altean was there. He startled me.   
“Naw, Hunk helped,” said Pidge, examining the surface of the pod.   
“Barely,” I said.  
“You still sped along the process,” the tiny girl said, rubbing off some minuscule speck of dirt only she could see. “I would have had to cross the entire room to grab that wrench if it wasn't for you.”  
I rolled my eyes. “Gee, I feel so helpful,” I drawled sarcastically.   
Shiro chuckled. “If you helped, you helped.”  
“I was more or less moral support,” I concluded.  
Keith smiled at me. “You’re good at that,” he said.   
I felt the urge to hug him, but I refrained. I knew Keith had the largest personal bubble of all of us, and just under him was Pidge. If you hugged Pidge without warning you could get punched; I had to learn that lesson the hard way.   
“Thank you,” was all I said.   
We stood and chatted idly about nothing in particular for about thirty minutes, and Pidge explained the modifications she made to the pod in excruciating detail to anyone unfortunate enough to fall within earshot. Not that it wasn't fascinating. I found it fascinating. However, I don't think Lance held technology to the same regard as Pidge and I.   
Suddenly, Allura burst in through the door, her long, white hair streaming behind her. “You are all going to want to come see this,” was all she said before she ran back out.   
Needless to say we followed her.


	3. Distress Beacon

I stood in front of the mirror, holding a very wide purple strip of cloth. I pressed my ears down against my head as flat as I could get them, and I tied the purple cloth so that it hid my ears. My bangs flopped over the top of the cloth, and I smiled. I looked a little bit like a ninja, which made me smile.  
I walked into my bedroom, and looked at the outfit Qotho had laid out on my bed for me. I smiled. This was going to be the coolest thing I’d ever worn.   
It was a full black leather flying suit and combat boots. I would wear an armored space suit over it, but this thing was awesome. I put it on, and it fit like a glove. It was perfect.  
I walked out, feeling badass. Qotho put his hands on his hips and cocked his head, his yellow eyes gleaming. “You look hot,” he said.  
I turned red. “Quiznak, Qotho, don't make things awkward,” I said, looking down.  
Qotho chuckled. “I like you with your ears better though,” he said.  
“Yes, but they’re a Galra red flag,” I said. “And I need to appear as fully human as possible.”  
He nodded. “Stay safe,” he said.  
“I will,” I replied. I was escorted out to the pod which I would be flying by a squad of sentries. I suited up, wearing Galra armor without any of the pieces that made it trademark Galra. It was solid black. I put the helmet on, and climbed into the pod.   
I launched the pod, and flew out into empty space. Now came the boring part. I was supposed to fly for a few vargas until I reached a deserted moon, then ‘crash’ the pod. I would land, and blow it up. Then, I was to send up a distress beacon. Zarkon had made sure we were in the same part of the universe that the Castle of Lions was, so that I would be picked up, and not marooned on a deserted moon.  
The vargas seemed to drag on, and I had nothing to entertain me. Empty space was the most boring thing ever. The stars didn't seem to change at all. I passed only a single asteroid in the four hours I had been flying. How the quiznak was I supposed to find something large enough to land on?  
Finally, after six vargas, I saw a tiny planet up ahead. But lo and behold, it had a moon! I grinned, and put on an extra boost of speed. I slowed when I reached the moon, and landed on the surface. I hopped out, and pulled out the portable beacon from underneath the dashboard. I picked it up, and exited the pod. I set the pod to detonate in five dobashes, and got the quiznak out of there.   
Once I was a safe distance away, I sat down and watched as the pod burst into flames. I smiled. I had technically just taken down a Galra ship! I waited a minute, and pressed the button that sent out the distress beacon. Then, I did my best to look distressed. Now all I had to do was wait.


	4. Damsel in Distress

“We received this distress beacon a minute ago,” Allura said, pointing to a glowing yellow bubble that appeared to be hovering over a deserted moon not far from us. “However, the moon is too small for the castle to land on. We’re going to have to send out a lion to retrieve whoever was on the ship that went down. Who would like to do this?”  
I jumped at the opportunity to prove myself to Allura again. “I’ll do it,” I said quietly.   
“It’s obviously going to be me,” said Lance. “What if it’s a damsel in distress, in need of saving? In need of her knight in shining armor?”  
“You’re about the farthest thing from a knight in shining armor in the entire known universe, Lance,” said Pidge, rolling her eyes.   
Lance protested, but his words were lost on me. “I said I’ll do it,” I said, a little louder. Still, everyone ignored me. I bristled. Just because I was Galra, it didn't mean I was now invisible! “I said, I’LL DO IT!” I shouted.  
Everyone stopped talking immediately, and stared at me with wide eyes. I immediately wished a hole in the floor would open me up and swallow me whole.   
“I mean… if that’s okay with everyone,” I mumbled, staring at my feet.   
Allura’s face darkened, but before she could say anything, Hunk spoke up. “I, for one, think that is an excellent idea.”  
I smiled at him. The Yellow Paladin was always on my side. He was the one who cared the least about my Galra blood, but even then there were still times when I could tell he had trouble seeing me as the same Keith he knew before.   
“It’s settled then,” said Shiro, before Lance could protest. “Keith will rescue the survivor.” He had used his authoritative voice. No one argued with Shiro when he used that tone. 

I neared the moon in Red, looking for signs of life. I didn't see any. When we touched down, I got out of my lion and walked around on the surface of the moon.   
After about ten minutes, I found the wreckage from the pod that had crashed. Holy quiznak, this thing didn't just crash. From the looks of the debris, this thing had exploded! I hoped to God whoever had gone down here had gotten out.   
“Hello?” I called. “I’m here to help! My crew and I caught your distress beacon!”  
I heard a voice in reply. “Over here!” it called. I walked in that direction for a few minutes, and came across a person pacing anxiously. “Thank goodness you’re here!” they cried.   
They were wearing a black space suit that covered everything enough to make it so that I could not tell if I was speaking to a girl or a guy. It didn't help that they also had a rather androgynous voice, not unlike Pidge.   
Whoever it was pressed a button on the side of their helmet, and the tint on the mask disappeared, allowing me to see the person under. ‘They’ was a she. And ‘she’ was human.  
“You… you’re human!” I said, taking a step back.  
She nodded. “One of the few not on Earth. Looks like you are too.”  
“Who are you?” I asked.  
“The name’s Akira Thornspur. What’s your name?” she asked.  
“Keith Kogane,” I said, noticing that she had the same eyes as me. Big, round, (but slightly angled) grey blue eyes. However, hers had a tiny bit of green in them. She also had thick eyebrows like me, too.  
She nodded. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said.  
“Likewise,” I replied.   
“Can I get off of this stupid moon now?” she asked.   
I nodded. “Follow me,” I said. On the walk back to Red, I learned that she had escaped imprisonment from the Galra. She told me she had been one of their prized gladiators, and had fought her way out. She had crashed her escape pod, and was afraid that she was being followed.   
When we got to Red, she froze up, staring at the giant lion in awe. “Whoa,” was all she managed to say, before the lion crouched down and opened his mouth. I led her inside, as she was in a state of stupor after seeing Red.

When we got back to the castle, everyone (including Allura, much to my surprise,) rushed to the lion to meet her. She walked down the ramp, still wearing her helmet.  
“And who do we have the pleasure of meeting?” asked Allura, shaking Akira’s hand.  
“Akira Thornspur,” Akira replied.   
“I am Allura, princess of Altea,” said Allura. She was about to continue to introduce the rest of the paladins, when a look of shock and awe came over Akira’s face, and she knelt down into the deepest bow I’d ever seen.   
“Your Majesty,” she said.


	5. Ken Tōshi

Allura turned red. “Please, there’s no need for that. I haven't had a place to rule in ten thousand years.”  
“Is… is that like a Deca-Phoeb?” I asked, confused.  
Allura nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! Yes it is! You know Altean time units!”  
I scratched the back of my head, because I had an itch, only to find that my helmet was in the way. I had forgotten I was wearing. I pulled it off, allowing my purple and black hair to cascade out of the helmet.   
“Cool hair,” said the large one in yellow.  
“Thank you… um…” I said, grasping for his name, which I hadn't yet learned.   
“Hunk,” he said. “The tiny one’s Pidge, the Cuban one’s Lance, and the tall guy is Shiro.”  
I looked at each member of the team as the one named Hunk introduced them. When he introduced Shiro, I looked at the tall man with the white forelock and scar across the bridge of his nose, and paled. I knew him.

I stood in the pit, staring straight up, waiting for the announcer to call the beginning of the fight. I shifted back and forth, nervously clutching the hilt of my staff. We were told not to use weapons with blades, so I had chosen the staff.   
I knew I would be fighting one of Zarkon’s most prized warriors, the one they called the Champion. I did not know his real name, and I did not know what species he was. All I knew is that most of his opponents did not leave the ring alive.   
“In this corner,” the announcer’s voice boomed through the mic, “we have Zarkon’s Champion himself!”  
I heard a roar from the crowd as a hydraulic hiss signified the panel in the floor rushing out of the pit and up to the arena, and the Champion walking out. I felt a shudder of fear surge through my veins. I wasn't just scared, I was petrified.   
“And in this corner,” the announcer’s voice boomed through the mic once more, and I felt the floor shudder and begin to rise, and I shifted back in forth in preparation for whom I was about to face. “We have Ken Tōshi, the Gladiator!” I had earned that title, the title of Gladiator. If I won tonight, I would also win the title of Champion.  
The floor that I was standing on joined with that of the arena, and I heard the crowd cheering. However, they did not cheer as loudly for me as they did for the Champion.   
I turned to face my opponent. When I saw whom I was facing, I was quite taken aback. He looked like me. Well, not really. When I say he looked like me, I mean he looked like the same kind of creature that I was. Human, I believe the word is. However, he didn't have Galra ears or purple fur ridges like I did. He was fully human, then.   
He was tall, over six feet, and covered in rippling muscle. He towered over my five foot four frame. He had black hair that was shaved around the back of his head, cropped short on top, and left longer in the front. His forelock was white; pure white, like Haggar’s hair. He had almond shaped dark eyes. He was very attractive, but I knew better than to ogle someone who was going to try to kill me.   
I wondered to myself, how did a creature so small manage to earn the title of Champion? I knew that this meant I was not to underestimate him, which made the prospect of fighting him all the more daunting. He had a look in his eyes that made me want to run, made me want to get away, to be anywhere but here. It was the look of a survivor, the look of a man who learned to kill without it weighing on his conscience. I trembled.  
I knew I would not walk out of this arena alive.

There was no hint of recognition in his eyes when he looked at me, so if he knew who I was, he purposefully didn't show it. I went along with it. “It’s nice to meet you,” I said.  
“It’s nice to meet you as well,” said Shiro. The other paladins nodded, murmuring affirmatives.   
“So,” said the older redheaded Altean man with the cyan cheek markings. “How did you get to that moon?”  
“Well, um…”  
“Coran,” he supplied.  
“Well, Coran, I-” I began to tell the story, but was interrupted by my stomach, which gave a particularly large growl.  
“When was the last time you ate something?” the princess interjected.  
I looked down, embarrassed. “A few vargas over a quintant ago,” I said.  
I looked up to find Shiro’s eyes full of concern. “You are not telling us this story until you’ve eaten,” he said.  
Hunk made an excited noise. “Yes! Food!” he exclaimed.

We were all seated around a large table, and Shiro slid a large bowl of green goo in front of me. I wasn't sure what it was, but it was food. I dug in, eating faster than I had in a long time.   
“Whoa, you eat like a starved yalmor!” exclaimed Coran.  
I wasn't sure what that meant, but I guessed that it meant I was pretty hungry. And heck yeah, I was. All the members of Team Voltron watched me intently as I ate, which was kind of embarrassing. I didn't exactly have the best manners, considering I had grown up more or less a Galra prisoner, trained to be a gladiator and weapon.  
Once I was halfway done with the bowl, Allura asked, “So, do you mind telling us your story?”  
I told her the same tale I had told Keith, about how I stole the pod, and how my goal was to get as far away from Zarkon as possible. When I had finished, everyone seemed to be mulling my words over.  
“So,” said Shiro, looking pensive. “You said that you were a prisoner of Zarkon’s. I was also a prisoner of Zarkon. I don't remember you,” he said.  
Quiznak. How was I gonna cover this?  
“You also have partial amnesia,” said Allura. “You may have lost the memories with her in them.”  
“True,” said Shiro.  
I heaved a sigh internally. Allura to the rescue.  
“So, how did you get captured by the Galra?” asked the one that Hunk introduced as Lance.  
“My parents were prisoners,” I said. “I was born on a Galra ship,” I fibbed. “They died when I was really little, and I don't know how they were captured. I was too young for them to tell me anything.”  
“Oh,” said Lance.   
“Tell us about it,” said Pidge.  
“Well, I was trained to fight at a young age by a Galra commander. When I was old enough to hold my own against other prisoners, I was sent to fight as a gladiator for Zarkon’s entertainment,” I said.  
“You were a gladiator?” asked Shiro.  
I nodded. “Yes sir,” I said.  
“I was too,” he said. “I don't remember you.”  
“I don't remember you,” I flat out lied. “At least I don't think I do.”  
“Did you… did you ever fight a warrior by the name of Ken Tōshi?”  
Ken Tōshi. That was me. I didn't dare tell him that. “Yeah,” I lied. “I did.”  
“Did you win?” he asked.  
“Heck no,” I said, chuckling and shaking my head. “Did you ever fight Ken?”  
He nodded. “Yeah, I did.”  
“Did you win?” I asked.  
“It was a draw,” he said, his gaze lingering a bit longer than it should have.


	6. Distrust

“Hey, Shiro,” Keith’s voice said, coming from behind me. I looked up from where I was sitting in the hangar, and looked back. The red paladin walked towards me, arms swinging loosely.  
“Hey, Keith,” I said, as he sat down on Black’s paw, next to me.  
“You were acting weird back there,” he said, “in the dining room. Is everything alright?”  
I furrowed my brows, deep in thought. “I’m not sure.”  
“What about her sets you off?” he asked.  
“Huh?”  
“Akira. What about Akira sets you off?” he clarified.  
“She just… She just looks so familiar, Keith. I don't know how I know her, but I know I do, and I know it’s from when I was a Galra prisoner.”  
“Is that a good thing that you recognize her, or a bad thing?” asked Keith. “What kind of vibe is it?”  
“Honestly, I think it’s a bad thing,” I confessed.


	7. Spar

I sat in my room, the one that Allura had shown me, and told me was mine until I decided to part ways with Team Voltron. It was kind of an unspoken agreement amongst them that I would be allowed to stay until I decided to leave. Their hospitality was astounding, and their kindness floored me.  
I had noticed that Shiro did not trust me, but I did not blame him. I didn't necessarily trust him either. I wanted to like him, but I couldn't trust him. I wasn't sure what to think about the rest of the crew, save Keith. As soon as I met Keith, I knew I could trust him. I’m not really sure why, but I had got a feeling, a gut feeling, that I could trust him. I could see myself trusting Hunk. He seemed like a genuine person.  
I sighed, and pulled out my coordicomm. Coordicomm is short for Coordinate Communication device. It was linked to a coordicomm in Haggar’s possession. As much as I hated Zarkon and Haggar, I feared them even more, which is why I did what I did. I sent them the coordinates of the Castle of Lions.   
You’re a neutral party, I thought. Remember that. Don't feel guilty. You have no ties. You are neutral.   
Yet, no matter how much I told myself that, I still felt guilty. 

My alarm went off, and I rolled out of bed. I shuffled into the bedroom, and looked into the mirror. My ears hung limply out to the sides, not perked up like usual. That was normal in the morning.   
Wait a second.  
My ears!  
Quiznak!  
I must’ve somehow gotten the headband off in my sleep!  
I rushed back to my bed, and ripped the sheets open, looking for the headband. It wasn't there. What ensued was a panicked half-a-varga search for my headband, which I eventually found wadded up in the corner, between the wall and my bed.   
I walked into the bathroom, brushed my hair, and tied the headband. That was a close one. Someone could have walked in on me! I got dressed for the day; Allura had kindly supplied me with some clothes from a wardrobe that looked like no one was using it. I still wore the same leather jacket that Qotho had picked out for me, however. I loved that thing.   
I walked out to breakfast, whistling a Galra opera I heard one of the guards outside my room listening to once. As I was rummaging through some cabinets for a bowl, I heard someone join in on the opera. I whirled around to find Shiro stirring his green goo idly.   
“You had a guard that listened to that too, huh?” he asked, a half smile on his face.   
“Must’ve been a popular opera,” I said, shakily.   
“Must’ve been,” he said. He picked at an invisible speck on his jacket sleeve, and we sat in awkward silence. I got myself some breakfast, and luckily, most of the other paladins came to join us.  
“So, Akira,” said Shiro, once Keith, Lance, Pidge, and Hunk had all sat down to eat breakfast. “You said you were a gladiator?”  
I nodded as I took another bite of the green food goo, unsure of where this was going.   
“Care to spar with me?” Shiro asked, narrowing his eyes and studying my reaction.  
Quiznak. Oh, quiznak. I couldn't say no. if I said no, he would get even more suspicious than he already was. However, it was a possibility that sparring with him would trigger some memories and he would know who I was. I took a deep breath. “Sure… I’ll spar with you,” I said. “But I might have an episode,” I murmured under my breath. I was talking about my breakdowns. The ones I had that were sometimes triggered by events that reminded me of traumatic experiences.   
I hadn't even realized Keith was behind me, or that he had even gotten up, until he put a hand on my shoulder. I stiffened, and whirled around. “It’s just me,” he said. “You’ll be okay,” he reassured.   
I nodded.


	8. Ken? Or Akira?

I stood across from Akira, sword clutched in my hand. She held a similar sword. We both agreed that my arm was off limits, and that we would be using swords. She looked scared, but I couldn't blame her. I had PTSD from the Galra gladiator ring fights as well.   
The way she was standing reminded me of Ken Tōshi, but I shook the feeling off. She wasn't Ken.   
I made the first move, charging at her. She stepped aside, easily blocking my move. She lunged forward as I came whirling back around, and slammed the hilt of her sword into my diaphragm. Stars exploded in my head, and I stumbled. I shood my head in an attempt to clear it, and swung my sword around. However, when I got a good look at her, I saw double.  
On one half, there was Akira. On the other half, there was a girl who looked similar to Akira, with huge purple Galra ears. Her eyes glowed yellow. Ken.   
I swung my sword up at Ken-no, up at Akira, and her parry was weak. I landed a blow to her right thigh. She grunted.  
Our fight continued like this, neither of us gaining the upper hand. Both of us were taxed, and couldn't go on much longer. Suddenly, just as I was about to charge at Akira, I heard Allura’s voice shout, “Enough!”  
We both turned to look at her, chests heaving, breathing labored. She walked in through the doors and onto the training deck.   
“That is enough for today. You have had your match. I declare it a draw,” she said.  
I sat down, grateful for a reason to stop. Akira wasn't much older than Pidge, and she was smaller than Keith was. And she could match me in a fight.   
I watched her turn and walk out the door, only in my mind she had giant purple Galra ears and yellow eyes. In my mind she was Ken Tōshi.


	9. Friendship

Tired, bruised, and sore, I made my way back to my room. The doors slid open, and I flopped down onto my bed. I didn't peel off my clothes to examine my injuries, I was too tired and didn't want to bother. However, I could tell that I was bruised all over, and that I was going to be in a world of hurt tomorrow. Fighting Shiro was as hard as I remembered.   
Grabbing my coordicom, I sent the location of the castle to Zarkon. I felt a pang of guilt, but shoved the feeling down. Then, I fell asleep.

When I woke up, I knew two things. One: I smelled awful. Two: I needed a shower. In order to remedy the first, I had to act on the second.   
I rolled out of bed, groaning as my bruised skin pulled in uncomfortable directions. I stood, and slowly made my way to the bathroom. Luckily, I didn't share this bathroom with anyone, I had it all to myself. The last thing I needed was someone walking in on me and discovering my heritage.   
I peeled all my clothing off, and winced when I saw myself in the mirror. I was right. I had large bruises covering my torso, arms, and legs. Some of them were minor, and would fade within the next twenty vargas, but others were a dark, violent purple, which I knew meant that they would last for several quintants.   
I stepped into the shower, and let the hot water cascade all over me, dulling the pain for the time being. I washed my hair and my ears, as well as the ridges of fur I had on my shoulders, elbows, calves, and spine. The soap smelled like goba fruit. Yum.   
I spent about a varga in the shower, which was probably too long. I didn't really care though, it felt wonderful. When I got out, I toweled off and put on a fresh outfit. I tied my headband around my ears after I dried my hair, and smiled. I felt much better now.   
I turned and walked over to the door, intending to find one of the paladins to hang out with, or to explore the castle.   
When I opened the door, I nearly had a heart attack. Lance was leaning up against the doorframe, in such a way that I couldn't really get out. He had a smarmy look on his face. This was definitely not on my list of things I was expecting today.   
“Hey girl, are you from outer space? Because your body is out of this world,” he said, in what I assumed was his attempt at a suave, seductive voice. Wow, okay, a pick up line.   
Two could play this game. I matched his smarmy smile and shot back, “Do you have a bandage? Because I just scraped my knee falling for you.”  
He looked slightly taken aback, and then started laughing. “That’s a good one,” he said, grinning. “I’ll have to remember that.” He straightened, and let me out of the room. “Do you want a tour of the castle?” he asked, smiling.  
I nodded, eyes bright. “Sure!”  
The next two vargas were spent wandering around, being shown around the castle. I learned where everyone’s rooms were, where the medbay was, where the main deck was, where the control room was, and where the hangar was. The whole time we exchanged equally terrible pick up lines.   
When we walked into the hangar, we came upon Pidge, working on some project which I probably didn't have the IQ to understand.   
Lance grinned at me and said, “I must be the castle, and you must be Allura, because you’ve certainly activated my particle barrier.”  
I heard Pidge groan in annoyance, and I chuckled. I spied a broken security camera on Pidge’s work desk, and I picked it up. Turning to Lance, I said, “I’m not a photographer, but I can picture us together.”   
He snorted, and I grinned.  
“That’s it, both of you, get out now,” said Pidge, pointing at the door.   
“Wow, I feel so loved,” said Lance, in an overly dramatic sarcastic tone.   
“Come on, Lance, we obviously aren't wanted,” I said, dramatically, throwing my arm around Lance’s waist (I was too short to reach his shoulder) and leading him away from the pissed off girl in the chair.  
“I hope your happy,” Lance said over his shoulder to Pidge, faking a choked up voice.   
“Give me a quiznaking break,” I heard Pidge groan. I stifled a laugh.   
On the way back to our rooms, we ran into Keith. “Hi Keith!” I said, waving at the red paladin with the arm that wasn't still twined around Lance. He looked a little surprised to see me with Lance, but returned the greeting.   
When I got to my room, I parted ways with Lance, and crashed on my bed. I needed to send Zarkon our location, and I needed sleep.


	10. Keith is an Overprotective Older Brother

“So, Akira, huh?” Keith asked, blocking my door.  
“Dude, what the heck!?” I said, jumping. “What the quiznak are you doing in my room?!”  
“Wanted to talk,” he said nonchalantly.  
I raised an eyebrow. “You. Wanted to talk. To me.”  
“Yes?” Keith said, craning his neck and lifting his shoulders in a slow shrug.  
“Okay… Can I at least come into my room?”  
“Yeah, sure. Sorry,” he said, stepping aside.   
I walked into my room, and flopped over onto my bed. “What is so urgent that you break into my room?”  
“I didn't break in! The door was open!” Keith protested. He was standing in the middle of my floor, doing the thing with his arms that he often does; lifting them up and out, as if to say ‘come on!’   
“Yeah yeah yeah, okay. Whatever. But still. What the heck is this about?” I asked, rolling over from my stomach to my side.  
“Akira,” Keith supplied. “You two look awful friendly.” He had his arms crossed in a manner that told me he did not approve. Since when was he so protective of total strangers?  
I sat up so fast I got dizzy. “Whoa, man, lemme stop you right there,” I said, putting out my hands. “Let’s stay with friendly.”  
Keith seemed to visibly relax, the relief plain on his face. “Platonic?” he asked.   
“Completely,” I said. “I did throw a pick up line at her, and she matched it with one of her own. It was pretty funny. I decided I would rather be friends with her than make her hate me by trying to get her to go out with me,” I said.  
“A mature decision,” said Keith. “I didn't know you had it in you.”  
“Thank yo- wait a minute, hey, that’s not very nice,” I said, grumpily. It was my turn to cross my arms.   
“Whatever,” laughed Keith. “I’m gonna get some lunch.”  
“Same, I’ll be down in a few,” I said.   
Keith left, and I flopped onto my back. Did he like Akira? Was that why he was acting strangely about her?   
He doesn't really act like he likes her, I thought. It was more like he was being an overprotective older brother. 

“Hey Pidge, what’s crackalackin?” I asked, opening the door to the dining room. The tiny girl was sitting at one end of the table, fiddling with something. I couldn't tell what it was, but it had a lot of wires.   
She looked up sharply, and her glasses slid all the way down her nose, almost falling off. She pushed them back up. “Hi, Lance,” she said, smiling. I sat next to her.  
“What are you working on?” I asked, cocking my head.   
“Not really sure, to be honest,” she said. “Just occupying my time.”  
“I see. Would you like some lunch?” I asked. “I’m gonna go get some.”  
“Sure, thanks man,” she said.  
“No problem,” I said. I enjoyed Pidge’s company, even if she didn't really always enjoy my company. She was like a little sister to me, and I could be kind of protective. Almost how Keith was acting about Akira.   
Speaking of Keith and Akira, the two of them walked into the room, carrying bowls of food goo and chatting. I slipped past them, I got two bowls of the green stuff, one for me and one for Pidge. Once I had grabbed our food, I made my way back into the room where we were eating. I slid a bowl to Pidge, and plopped down next to her.   
I looked down the table, to see Akira and Keith chatting, and generally being cute. I had never seen the red paladin act so open before, it was a little odd.   
I’ll bet he likes her, I thought. I’ll bet he likes her, and that’s why he wanted to make sure my relationship with her was totally platonic.  
“He doesn't like her,” Pidge said, taking a bite of food goo.  
“What the-” I said, looking over at the green paladin.   
“Well, I mean he does like her, but not in the way you’re thinking of,” she said, spooning more food goo into her mouth.   
“How did you know what I was thinking?” I asked incredulously.  
“Oh please. Lance, you’re easier to read than an open picture book,” she snarked, rolling her eyes. I twisted my mouth to the side. It was true, I was fairly easy to read. Pidge smiled at me, and put a hand on my shoulder. “Lance, just chill, okay? She and Keith are friends. You and her are friends. And most importantly, you and Keith are friends.”  
“Are we?” I said, realizing a second too late that I had actually said it out loud.  
She laughed. “Yeah, I know you two act like you hate each other, which I don't understand. There are times I have wanted to yell, ‘JUST KISS ALREADY!’ but have thought better of it,” she said.   
My face turned redder than Keith’s jacket. “Thank you so much for never saying that,” I managed.  
Her only response was to throw her head back and laugh at me.   
Just then, Shiro walked into the room. Akira went silent, causing Keith to look at her with slight confusion. As Shiro made his way across the room, Akira and Shiro had locked eyes, staring each other down with a silent uneasiness that made me uncomfortable. It was clear they did not trust each other.   
I knew they would eventually have to work it out. I just hoped none of us would get caught in the middle of it.


	11. Mambo!

I was walking down the hallway, when I heard rhythmic music. From as far away as I was, even with my heightened hearing, all I could make out was a strong, pulsing drum beat. My curiosity got the better of me, and I walked in the direction of the music.   
As I got closer, I began to make out more of the music. There were a variety of other instruments, as well as vocals in a language I didn't understand. (Which honestly, was odd, considering I could understand most spoken languages). The music made me want to stop what I was doing and dance.  
Soon, I came upon the source of the music. Lance’s quarters. His door was halfway open, and I poked my head inside. The blue paladin’s back was to me, and he was doing chores, like making his bed and putting away some laundry. He was also dancing. And man, I have never seen someone dance like Lance.  
He had a natural gift for it, that much was obvious. I knew that this dance was not pre-choreographed, he just naturally danced this well. I loved the way he moved. The way his body just flowed in time with the beat of the song, and how his feet hardly seemed to touch the floor.   
I also enjoyed dancing, and as I watched him, I began to mimic the moves he was doing. There was a lot of motion in the hips, which was pretty fun. I began to smile, dancing in time with the music, dancing in time with Lance, when the blue paladin did a spin, and caught a glimpse of me in the doorway as he whirled around in a 360.   
He froze, and tapped a screen. The music stopped. He turned around, his face red. “What are you doing hovering by the door?” he asked, clearly embarrassed.  
I didn't understand why he would be embarrassed about dancing. Being able to dance was a gift, and it was cool. “I heard your music,” I said, leaning up against the doorframe, “and I came to investigate.”  
“Were you… dancing?” he asked, sounding embarrassed.  
“Yeah, I was mimicking you,” I said.   
“Oh my gosh,” he said quietly, turning even redder with embarrassment.  
“There’s no need to be embarrassed!” I exclaimed. “I wish I could dance as well as you, Lance! I don't think I’ve ever seen anyone move like that!”  
“Oh god,” he said, still embarrassed. “I bet you’ll go tell the others and make fun of me,” he said.  
I shook my head. “No, I wouldn't make fun of that. That was awesome. I’ve never seen anyone dance like that, and I’ve never heard music like that either. What is it?”  
“It’s Latin music,” he said. “And I was doing Latin dance. That particular dance was mambo,” he said.  
“Teach me,” I said. It wasn't a suggestion, it was a command.  
His blush deepened, which I didn't think was possible. “Oh… um… I don't know…”  
“Please?” I asked, pulling baby yupper eyes.  
“Oh geez, don't look at me with puppy eyes!” he protested. “Yeah fine, I’ll teach you!”  
“Yes!” I said, pumping my fist. I walked into the room, ready to learn.  
Lance started the music again. This song was a tiny bit slower, but not by much. “Okay,” he said. “I’m going to put my hand around your waist like this,” he said, walking over to me. He faced me, and put right hand on the small of my back. “And you’re going to put your left hand on my shoulder, okay?” I did as I was told, and he adjusted my placement a bit. “Now hold my left hand in your right,” he instructed. We clasped hands, and he guided mine so that it was on top. He placed our arms about shoulder height.   
“Now what,” I said, grinning up at him.  
“Step back with your right foot,” he said, and he stepped forward with his left foot as I did so. “Now rock your weight onto your left,” he instructed. I did as I was told, and he rocked his weight onto his right foot. “Now put your right foot where it was,” he said, doing the same thing with his left. “Now step forward with your left,” he said, stepping backwards with his right. “Rock your weight over your right,” he guided, as he rocked his weight over his left. “Good, now put your left foot back.” He put his right foot back as I did per instructed. We did this for a few ticks before he said, “Good, I think you’re getting the hang of it. Let’s jazz it up a bit, shall we?”  
“Okay!” I said, enthusiastically.   
“Add a slight twist with your hips,” he said, and the motion completely changed. No longer was it stiff and slightly awkward. It became fun, and free. I absolutely loved dancing like this!  
“This is fun,” I said, grinning.  
“Move your hips more,” he said. “Like, in a circular motion.” He demonstrated, and I copied him. “Okay, I’m going to spin you,” he said. “Let go of my hand.”  
I did as I was told, and he swung away from me, moving his hand from my back to clasp the hand that had been on his shoulder. He then pulled me slightly, directing me to twist into him. I did so, and found myself with my back pressed up against his abdomen, his arm around my chest. He swung me out, and I spun back. We then resumed our original position, dancing like that for a little bit longer. We had fun, twirling and spinning. A couple times we broke away from each other and danced solo before coming back together.   
Then he swung me away and pulled me back into him, twisting me like he did the first time. However, this time when he pulled me into his chest, he dropped into a lunge, bending me down backwards. I yelped, surprised.   
“What was that?” I said, laughing, when he pulled me back up. We resumed dancing.  
“That was called a dip,” he said, grinning.   
“I was not warned that was going to happen,” I chuckled.  
“Catching you off guard was the goal,” he said. “In dance, partners have to be able to trust each other.”  
“I see,” I said.  
“Do you trust me, Akira?” he said, grinning and raising an eyebrow.  
“Yeah,” I said.   
“So you wouldn't mind if I did this?” he asked, suddenly putting both hands around my waist and hoisting me up into the air. He tossed me and spun me, then caught me and set me back down lightly.  
“I need warning!” I squeaked midair. He laughed. When we were dancing again, I said to him, “You’re a lot stronger than you look.”  
“You weigh almost nothing,” he said. I chuckled. We danced for about two more songs, Lance’s chores forgotten.   
Suddenly, I heard Pidge’s voice at the door. “Oh my gosh, are you two dancing?”


	12. Group Dance

“Oh my gosh, are you two dancing?” Pidge’s voice said. Akira and I whirled around to find the green paladin standing at the door, an expression that was half smile, half look of disbelief on her face. The embarrassment I had felt when Akira had caught me dancing solo was nothing compared to the embarrassment I felt now. I turned bright red, and stammered before Akira came to my rescue.  
“Yeah,” said Akira. “I heard his music and made him teach me. Wanna dance?” she asked.  
It was Pidge’s turn to turn red. “Um… I don't really know if I can-”  
“Oh come on, it’ll be fun!” she exclaimed.  
Pidge looked unsure, but came into the room anyway. She started sort of swaying in place, it was honestly pretty cute.   
After that song ended and a new one started, I heard footsteps. I looked up to see Hunk in the doorway. “Hey! You guys are dancing! Can I dance?” he asked, a happy smile on his face.  
“Absolutely!” Akira and I exclaimed in unison.   
Hunk came into the room, and looked at Pidge slightly awkwardly. “I’m guessing you want a partner,” said Pidge, walking over to Hunk. There was such a height difference between the two of them, that Pidge ended up putting the hand that would've gone on his shoulder on his upper arm. He ended up putting his hand on her upper back instead of her lower back as well. They were both slightly clumsy, but danced surprisingly well together.  
The next person to come investigate was Allura. She saw the four of us dancing and couldn't help but grin. She sat down on my bed, and bobbed her head in time with the music, calling out dance moves for us to do.  
When Shiro came into the room, he immediately went over to Allura and asked her to dance. I don't think I’d ever seen the Altean princess blush harder. She accepted, and they started mamboing along with the rest of us.   
When Coran poked his head in the door, his eyes lit up, and he burst into the room. He then broke out in the most fabulous solo latin routine I’d ever seen. I had no idea the man could dance that well!  
Keith looked around the corner after Coran had been in the room for about five minutes. “What the heck is going o-” Before he was able to finish his question, Coran swept him up and began to partner dance with him, Coran dancing the male part, making Keith dance the female part. I think that was the reddest I’d ever seen Keith’s face, as well.   
After one more song, I felt bad enough for Keith that I called out, “Switch!” when the next song came on.  
I ended up dancing with Allura (oh yeah, baby), Shiro ended up dancing with Pidge, Hunk ended up dancing with Coran, and Akira ended up dancing with Keith. I was smiling, laughing, and possibly having the best time aboard the castleship I’d ever had. It was the first time the castleship had ever truly felt like home.


	13. Kicking Galra Ass

I was so grateful when Lance called to switch partners. My friends pushed past me, finding new partners, and somehow I ended up in Akira’s arms. Which I didn't mind at all. She was nice.   
She smiled at me, and as we spun, one of the long tails of her purple headband whipped me in the face. She made a sound that was sort of a cross between a laugh and a gasp. “I’m sorry,” she said.  
“No problem,” I said, giving her a rare smile.  
“You have a nice smile,” she said. Don't take this the wrong way, it wasn't flirty at all. It was a simple observation.  
I blushed a little and looked down. I didn't take compliments well. “Thanks,” I mumbled.   
We danced for a little while longer, until we all got too tired to continue. Then, we all went to our rooms, retiring for the night. 

My eyes snapped open, and I was rudely awoken by the castle alarms blaring at full volume. I pushed myself out of bed, nearly falling to the ground in the process. I grabbed my jacket and bayard off of the wall, and ran into the control room.  
Shiro was already there, in full paladin armor. Akira came running in seconds after me. Then, Pidge. Shortly after Pidge, Hunk came stumbling in, still in his pajamas. Just on Hunk’s tail was Lance, fully dressed (surprisingly.)  
“What’s going on?!” Akira demanded, eyes wide.   
“A Galra battlecruiser is within range,” said Allura. “We are going to have to engage.”  
“They found me,” Akira whispered breathlessly. “Quiznak, they found me!”  
I bridged the gap between us, laying a hand on her shoulder, “Look Akira, it’s okay. We will fight them,” I said. “Together.”  
She nodded. “Let’s go kick Galra ass.”


	14. Purple Paladin

I ran down to the room where the paladins stored their armor. Everyone was suiting up. I went to put on my old flying suit, but Allura stopped me. “You’ll want something more protective to fight the Galra,” she said, gesturing to what the other paladins were wearing. “You’ll want something like that. Armor.”  
She led me down into an armory, and showed me paladin armor in various colors.   
“But… I’m not a paladin of Voltron,” I said, looking at all the armor.  
She smiled. “You don't have to be.”

I met everyone in the hangar, proudly wearing paladin armor in my signature color: purple. I puffed my chest a bit, showing off the large purple ‘V’.  
“Hey girl, lookin’ good!” called Lance, trotting over to me. He held up his fist and I bumped it.   
I walked over to Keith and stood next to him. I high-fived Hunk as I passed him. Shiro and I exchanged curt nods. “Who will I be flying with?” I asked Allura. I would love to fly with Keith or Lance, I wouldn't mind flying with Pidge or Hunk, but I hoped to high heavens that I wouldn't be flying with Shiro. I was afraid of him.  
She shook her head. “You won't be flying in a lion, you’ll be flying an Altean battle-pod.”  
“What’s an Altean battle-pod?” I asked.  
“A battle-pod is a traditional Altean pod specially equipped with weaponry,” explained Coran.  
“Oh, is it that project I’ve been helping you with?” asked Pidge.  
Coran nodded. He pointed to a normal looking pod. “There it is over there, you may want to go get familiar with it.”  
I did as told, and climbed into the pod. I turned it on, and saw the paladins running to their lions. I looked over the controls, smiling. They weren't too different than those in Galra pods.  
Shiro’s voice crackled through the intercom built into the helmet. “Alright, paladins, are we ready?”  
“Aye aye, captain!” Lance replied. I heard everyone groaning. I guessed that it was an Earth pop culture reference that I didn't understand.  
The lions took off from their hangars, and I followed in the battle-pod. When we got out into open space, we were immediately swarmed by Galra fighters. I suddenly felt very small and vulnerable, seeing as I was in a small pod and not a giant lion.   
The lions began to fly in formation, and I zipped in behind them. They took out fighters left and right with their jaw blades, tail lasers, and mouth cannons. Lance froze fighters, Keith burned them, Hunk pulverized them, and Pidge destroyed them from the inside out with her vine cannon. It was quite incredible really, watching them work as a team like that.  
The guns on my battle-pod were beautiful. The lasers they shot were so perfect, and they were so wonderfully crafted that I almost forgot I was flying a weapon. Everything worked so seamlessly, it was unbelievable.   
Suddenly, I was getting shot at from all sides, and out of nowhere. I couldn't tell where the lasers were coming from, but my pod was giving me error messages. Severe error messages. The shooting stopped, and I slumped over, panting. Suddenly, I was in the most intense pain I had felt in a very long time. It burned every inch of me, and almost seemed to zap the energy right from me. I had gotten shot by a battlecruiser ion cannon. I was going down, and there was nothing I could do.   
“Akira!” I heard a voice roar through my helmet. I couldn't tell which paladin it was in my frenzy to keep the pod working.  
Suddenly, I heard a massive boom. I looked to my left to see the black lion dive in front of the ion cannon that was headed towards me. I could hear Shiro screaming over the intercom, and all the other paladins yelling his name.  
The rest of the team destroyed the ion cannon, and we retreated. We were broken and bruised.  
Back on the ship, I rushed into the black lion’s cockpit, and helped Keith drag Shiro out of the pilot’s seat. He was pretty beat up, but he would be ok.  
“Why did you do that for me?” I asked, back in the med-bay. “You don't trust me. Why save me?”  
He shrugged, and winced at the painful action. “Nobody deserves to die. Everyone is worth saving.”  
“Thank you,” I said.   
“Don't mention it.”

Later that night I laid in bed, holding the coordicomm in my hand. I spun it around, playing with it. I was debating over what I should do. Shiro almost gave his life to save mine, and he didn't even trust me. Heck, a year ago I tried to kill him. A year ago, he almost succeeded in killing me.   
But now? Now he had saved my life, without hesitation. He didn't even have to think about what he was doing, he just acted.   
I trusted him now.  
I punched in a location into the coordicomm, an incorrect set of coordinates. We were in the Hayfax system, and I sent him coordinates for the Ulal system. You know what, Zarkon? Screw you.


	15. Why'd You Do It?

“Why’d you do it?” asked Allura. “Just out of curiosity. You don't even trust her, and yet you jumped in front of the beam from an ion cannon for her. You could’ve died.” She walked into my room and stood in front of me, which was a little awkward, considering I was lounging on my bed.   
“Because even though I don't trust her,” I said, “I understand what it’s like to have been tortured and broken.”  
Allura sat down next to me. “You need to be more careful, Shiro. The team needs you. I need you.” She put her hand on my own, and I smiled at her.  
“Don't worry,” I said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

I was still in my pajamas, which wasn't normal for me this late in the morning. Usually I was already dressed and ready to face the day. However, getting blasted by an ion cannon really takes a lot out of you, so I was having a personal recharge day.  
I had borrowed some skincare products from Lance, who was more than ecstatic to teach me how to use them. I swear, that boy knew more than most beauty gurus. As i cleaned off my face, I looked in the mirror and smiled. I felt better than I had in a long time.  
I walked down to the dining room for breakfast, and when I opened the door, I found Keith with a pencil, sketching something out. I sat down next to him.  
“Hey Keith, what’re you drawing?” I asked.  
“Red,” he answered, showing me his sketch of the red lion. I had forgotten what a gifted artist Keith Kogane was. It was such an incredible drawing.   
I smiled at him. “Keith, that’s really good.”  
He blushed and looked away, mumbling something incoherently.  
“No, I’m being serious, it’s really good,” I said.  
“Thank you, Shiro.”  
“Don't mention it,” I said, giving him a soft smile.   
Suddenly he seemed to realize that I was still in my sleepwear. “Oh my gosh, Shiro, are you seriously still in your pajamas?”  
I smirked. “Yeah…” I said.  
He laughed. “Comfortable?”  
“Hella.”


	16. Night Vision

I walked into Akira’s room, only to find that it was dark. I knew she wasn't asleep, why was it dark?  
I looked over at her bed, and saw two glowing eyes. They glowed with a slightly bluish tint, and were obviously Akira’s eyes.  
“Akira?” I asked. “Why are your eyes glowing?”  
The light flickered briefly, and I could tell she blinked. “KEITH!” she shouted, turning the light on. I could see that she had been reading, seeing as she had a book in her hand. “Keith, you startled me!”  
“Sorry,” I said. “Again, why are your eyes glowing?”  
“Um… Eugh… I have night vision contact lenses,” she said. I could tell she was lying. “Why? And why are you in my room?”  
“I forget,” I said. That wasn't a lie, I actually forgot why I was in here.  
“Oh, ok,” she said.  
“Goodnight,” I said.  
“Goodnight,” she replied, as I left.  
Glow in the dark eyes? Wasn't that a Galra thing?


	17. Secrets

Keith walked into the room, swinging his bayard idly. The weapon wasn't extended into its full sword form, so he could spin it without worrying about hurting anyone. "Oh," he said when he saw me. "Hi, Akira."  
"Hello, Keith," I replied, pulling a cool looking sword down from the weapons rack.   
"Did you come here to train?" he asked.   
I looked at him out of the corner of my eyes, smirking. “Isn't that what a training deck is for?” I asked.   
He flushed, a bit embarrassed. "Yeah, you're right," he said. After a moment of awkward silence, he asked me, "So, do you want to fight the gladiator with me?"  
I looked up and grinned. "That sounds like fun!" I exclaimed.   
He smiled at me, and put his bayard back into his belt. As he did so, he knocked something else out of his belt and onto the ground. It looked like a knife. I knelt to pick it up, so I could give it back to him, but right before my fingers grazed the surface, I yanked my hand away as if I'd been stung. I, under no circumstances, could touch that blade. You see, it was made of luxite, which is a metal, that is unique and ridiculously rare. I recognized the symbol on the hilt too, and I knew that if I touched this knife, my secret would be out. 

 

"That's a cool knife, Qotho," I said, gesturing to the knife the Galra wore at his hip.   
"You think so?" He asked me, smiling. I nodded in agreement. "Do you want to hold it?" he asked.   
I nodded, and Qotho handed me the knife. I turned it over in my hands. It was made of a strange purplish metal, and had an odd symbol on the cross guard. "The blade is made of luxite," said Qotho. "Do you know what that means?"  
I shook my head. No, I didn't know what it meant, but I wanted to. "It means that it knows if you have Galra blood. Now, hold it out, close your eyes, and channel your energy towards it," he instructed.   
I did as I was told, and the hilt grew hot against my hand. When I opened my eyes, I was holding a single edged sword. "Okay," I said, grinning. "That's cool."

 

I stood quickly. Keith gave me a questioning glance. "Do you mind handing me my knife?" he asked, not unkindly.   
I looked at him, then back at the knife. I didn't want him to know who I was, yet I was simultaneously curious as to why he, a human, would have a Galra knife. “And waste such able hands as your own?” I replied, scrambling for a cover.   
He gave me an irritated look, and crossed the room. He bent down, picked up his knife, and shot me another irritated glare. As he was coming towards the knife, I backed up towards the door, the sword in my hand.  
“Let’s go spar,” I said, grinning. 

“Begin training level five,” said Keith, projecting his voice. We stood roughly ten feet apart, waiting the for the gladiator to come from the ceiling.   
FFFFFFFT. The panel in the ceiling opened, and the gold and white gladiator dropped to the floor in a crouch. It stood, holding its staff in a fighting stance.   
It made the first move, swinging its staff around at Keith. He blocked the blow with his bayard, giving me the opportunity to attempt the take the legs out from under the robot. Notice I said attempt. When I tried, the gladiator shoved Keith away, and swept its leg out, tripping me. It was about to hit me with the electric end of the staff, when Keith slammed his entire body into the robot. It fell, but quickly got back up again.  
“Thanks,” I said breathlessly.   
“No problem,” he said, swinging at the gladiator. It blocked his blow easily with the staff.   
As we were fighting I lost track of the time. The only things I was aware of were Keith, the gladiator, and myself.   
Keith swung his sword up, seeing that the gladiator had left himself open for a brief second, and taking the opportunity to gain the upper hand. I also saw the opening, and went for it. However, I am not nearly as skilled with the sword as I am with the staff, and I am not anywhere near as skilled with the sword as Keith is. Because of this, I got in the way of Keith’s bayard, which grazed my forehead. The gladiator used my mistake to its advantage, and slammed its staff into my lower abdomen, sending me flying. I landed on my back, rolling a few feet before I slid to a stop on my stomach.   
“End training level five!” he shouted frantically. The gladiator halted, and powered down. “Akira, are you alright?” he cried, running to my side.   
I rolled over and sat up, groaning. I put my hand to my head, and felt something hot, wet, and sticky: blood. Suddenly, I realized that I didn't feel something rather important: my headband. I began to panic.  
“Oh my gosh,” he said breathlessly. “You’re Galra.”


End file.
